5 Simple Ingredients for Homemade Beauty Products

I love it when I know exactly what's going into and onto my body. When I can name every ingredient in something, without resorting to phonetically sounding it out. When the stuff that goes on my lips (or in my mouth) is actually edible. When the oil that soaks into my skin comes from olives, rather than petroleum. When my cleanser smells nice because part of it was once real flowers. 

So now I make alot of my own beauty products. And actually, it's sooo easy and really fast, too. Faster than running down to the pharmacy for another tube of whatever. Make a list, go get these things, and try some recipes out!





Here are 5 fantastic and cheap ingredients to get you started: 



Organic coconut oil (mine was 500mL for $8)
Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties (and which babies get a good dose of in mum's milk). It's a good saturated fat, but got a bad reputation from the hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated varieties found in processed foods. So stick to the extra virgin or minimally refined versions.

*cook with it - it doesn't break down at high temperatures, it lasts ages, and it's creamy at cool temperatures
*use it for creams like deodorant or chest rub
*use it for cleansers and make up removers
*use it as a conditioner for hair or a moisturiser for skin

Um, just looking at all these cross links and you can see how much I love coconut oil! I actually have two varieties - the extra virgin (which is less processed and much more coconutty smelling) and the refined (which is more subtle, when you don't want a strong scent).

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Organic extra virgin olive oil (mine was 500mL for $7)
Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and is known as a heart-healthy fat.

*cook with it
*use it in cleansers and make up removers
*use as a natural furniture polish
*use as a moisturiser for skin or lips or hair

NOTE: store out of direct light if possible

I love when I rub olive oil into something I'm cooking - my hands get soooo soft!! We also used olive oil to get rid of Nelle's cradle cap when she was a baby - just rub some onto the scalp and then use a comb to remove the flaky bits. (Sorry that sounded so disgusting!)

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Organic lavender essential oil (mine was 10mL for $10, but you only use a few drops at a time!)
Lavender can provide relief from insomnia, headaches, and also has antihistimine properties.

*put a few drops in your bath for extra relaxation
*add a few drops to your laundry rinse cycle to make your clothes or linens smell amazing
*add a few drops to homemade moisturisers or cleansers
*add a few drops to 10mL apricot kernel oil for a relaxing massage oil

NOTE: store essential oils out of the reach of children and out of direct light if possible

I love the smell of lavender. Though it was one of those smells that repulsed me during pregnancy (along with coffee! what a nightmare that was!) so it took me awhile to get back into it ...

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Good raw honey (mine was 500mL for $7)
Raw honey hasn't been heated to high temperatures, so it retains all its natural goodness. Honey has antiseptic and antifungal properties, and is soothing on the throat. A truly natural sugar.

*cook with it (or just use it raw!)
*use for mild cuts or burns or fungal infections
*makes a good face mask
*helps soothe sore or dry throats - try 1 Tbs lemon juice + 1 Tbs honey + 1 cup hot water

NOTE: don't give honey to babies less than 12 months old, or as your doctor recommends

One for the cake, one for me ... one for the cake, one for me ... 

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Tea tree oil (mine was 20mL for $7, but like any essential oil it'll last you ages)
Another great antiseptic and antifungal essential oil. This one comes from an Australian native tree, and has quite a potent smell. So use in moderation! 

*add a few drops to your hot wash cycle as an extra disinfectant for towels and linens
*helps the skin recover from shaving or you can apply a drop or two directly to mild cuts or abrasions
*use in conjunction with white vinegar to clean the house - try 1 c vinegar + few drops oil + a bucket of hot water to mop tiled floors or without the water to clean the toilet
*is a natural insect repellant

NOTE: store essential oils out of the reach of children and out of direct light if possible

You know that pine-y smell that those (toxic) cleaners have? Tea tree is the new pine, baby.

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I hope this has given you just a little inspiration to try making some homemade beauty products! How about a spa day for you and some friends? Where you make your own creams and cleansers together. Have champagne and nibblies. And laugh, a lot.

Treat yourself this weekend!
Amanda xx

Comments

  1. I am definitely going to try some of these "recipes"!

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  2. I'm so glad you posted about homemade beauty products! Thanks for sharing:)

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  3. Hi Amanda. What do you use on your little girl's skin when (if?) it gets dry? I'm hesitant to use anything that comes from the supermarket...

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  4. Hi Jenny, I actually tend to use the Extra Lovely Moisture Oil that I wrote about a couple months ago - but it's based on apricot kernel oil and olive oil, so if you didn't want to bother with the whole recipe you could try just a mix of those. As kids' skin can often be sensitive, I'd start by trying just a small patch first, to make sure they don't react. But both of those oils are usually fine for sensitive skins :)

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  5. Hi Amanda. Is there a good place you would recommend to buy these ingredients in Brisbane? We live in Toowong.

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  6. Hi there, I usually buy many of these things at Flannery's in Taringa. They've got organic 'Flannery' brand of the oils and honey that are usually cheaper than elsewhere. They also have essential oils.

    Hope this helps!

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  7. I used coconut oil as my sun lotion last year. I wonder if adding tea tree oil would be a good idea to help keep the bugs away as I sun? Hmm...

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Thanks for commenting! Amandaxx